Inclusive.

Experienced.

Effective.

Jersey European. Business Owner. Community Volunteer. Mum

I am a locally-born business owner, committed community volunteer and mother of two bilingual children. I am lucky enough to have grown up in Sion, St John and now live back in my childhood home, which at the centre of the island sits between all 3 parishes I am hoping to represent. 

I am Deputy Chair Jersey’s youth homelessness charity, JAYF, providing leadership and governance decisions in a time when Jersey is experiencing a housing crisis; an advisor to the Jersey Community Foundation and in partnership with the Diversity and Inclusion Network, co-founded the Diversity Directory, to support decision makers in business, the public sector and government to ensure diversity of people in policy discussions. 

At the Parish level, I volunteer as Editor of the St John’s parish magazine, elected member of St John’s Comité Rurale scrutinising the Island Plan, Member of St John’s twinning association, and along with my husband and both children, active members of St Lawrence’s 23rd Jersey Scout Group.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 My International Career

My career spans over 20 years influencing international organisations, like the United Nations, the World Bank and the European Union, along with individual governments and international businesses, to adapt their policies, regulations and spending decisions, with the aim to reduce inequality, protect the environment and create sustainable futures.  I have monitored, scrutinised and advised on the European Union’s budget, as well as trade, climate change, agriculture and international development policies.

I started my career as a youth advocate in peacebuilding, ensuring that the UN Security Council acknowledged that youths should have a voice in peace negotiations. I have had a successful career, based in Brussels, working for Oxfam and the Fairtrade movement. Returning to Jersey, I started my own business to advise governments, businesses and international organisations on how to make necessary changes to create sustainable future strategies and promote sustainable finance.

My passion for and knowledge of climate change, the environment, health and education and how the global financial system impacts these has taken me across the globe, living and working in the UK, Amsterdam and Brussels while spending long stints working in Sierra Leone, Kenya, and Ghana. 

Successful campaigns that I have worked on include:

  • Ensuring the rights of African smallholder farmers were recognised in EU agricultural policies; 

  • Pushing for stronger ethical and environmental criteria in EU public procurement regulation and EU trade agreements;

  • Monitoring and influencing the EU and the World Bank’s budgets and financial instruments to increase resources going to support education and health systems, strengthening sexual and reproductive healthcare for women and young people and for access to vaccines for developing countries; 

  • Supporting the Government of Jersey as an expert to the Citizen’s Assembly on Climate Change, Extension of the Paris Agreement on climate change to Jersey; supporting eco-active raise awareness with Jersey businesses about carbon offsetting and supporting government officials to successfully participate at COP 26 in Glasgow;

  • Developing Toolkits for Effective Private Sector Engagement in Development Cooperation for the OECD and UNDP specifically designed for the Private Sector, Civil Society, Trade Unions, and governments to help projects go beyond ‘do no harm’, to ensure ‘positive impact’;

  • Supporting civil society networks to help build awareness and understanding between advocates pushing donors (mainly western governments) to provide climate finance (for mitigation and adaptation) and those advocates pushing donors for sustainable development finance;

  • Advocating for stronger environmental and social criteria for when development finance institutions (like the World Bank and European Investment Bank) choose projects to finance in developing countries;

I have a Masters degree in International Development from Amsterdam University.

My Values

  • Inclusivity

    I partnered with the Diversity and Inclusion Network to set up the Diversity Directory for Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.

  • Empathy

    I give my expertise and time voluntarily to important causes. I believe in conducting all my relationships and work ethics with kindness and empathy. I am the Deputy Chair of JAYF providing accommodation and support to Jersey’s young people who would otherwise be homeless. I am an Advisor to the Jersey Community Foundation.

  • Efficacy

    Whether I am on a panel, in a meeting or speaking to a world leader, I highlight and address the difficult truths about our impact on the planet and each other. I have raised concerns and examples of human rights abuses with investment projects funded by the World Bank or the European Investment Bank.